new casts...

sweet, squeeze the lovin' out of you, hugs!!

nora and jeffrey looked so cute in their easter outfits.  we had a great easter brunch at nick's on the pier.  great ocean view!!

thanks auntie coco for the great (nordy) easter dress!!!

easter sunday!!

this was just too cute... sadie and james!!

sweet baby boy!

chilling with aunite coco

nora just looked too cute, carrying a hop-hop (you can't see it), and her blanket.  

jeffrey and chelsey came to stay for a night, and the kids enjoyed listening to the ipod!  

fun with auntie coco!!!

james' casts...

celebrating my birthday with the fam... my fav- red velvet!
james got his second set of casts today.  i will upload the pic tomorrow, but it is AMAZING the difference in one week.  his feet looked so much better.  and he is tolerating the new casts so much better!  actually, after that first 24 hours last time, he has done pretty well.  they started rubbing his thighs raw, and we went in and they put stuff on the tops of the casts.  but, even that, he did alright with!  he HATED getting the casts on today, but that was it.  

i do have to say, while we were waiting to go into the cast room, you could hear the saw (to take off the casts), and three different kids screaming.  one kid even said "help me".  didn't make me want to go in!  (seriously, though, they do a great job.  and i watched the "saw" and it doesn't get close to the skin!) 

it's sick...

so, there are some things that i intentionally didn't introduce, because they drive me nuts.  so, baby einstein, little einstein, mickey mouse were the things i was okay with (among others).  sesame street, we just hadn't gotten there yet.  but i liked it okay as a kid, so i figured my kids could, too.  well, nora had a book with elmo on it (she also had a cookie monster one and a grover one, but the elmo one took) and became obsessed with him.  so, we started sesame street.  she will talk about "cookie-yah" or "grover", but is OBSESSED with elmo and his friend abby.  so, for easter (and yes it is a few days early), mom-mom bought her an elmo.  can you see the sick excitement on her face!!!  it's so cute...

and for the boy... thanks for prayers!  he was SO MUCH better last night and today.  he was only up twice last night and isn't screaming in pain like he was!  and, he moves his legs again...  at least we are building muscle (in all of us, but especially his legs) with these heavy casts!

the pic at the table is all of us playing monopoly.  (and yes, for those of you who know, they were all warned about david haile and monopoly....)  the game is now down to three... david, mel and myself.  and, it will probably come down to who can get david out of the game (and he promises to give me his properties!!!)

casts...

so, over the weekend, james was breathing REALLY fast.  it was a case of me knowing too much.  i knew the bad effects of that.  but, i also knew that EVERYTHING else looked normal and fine.  we went to the doctor anyway, and he ordered a chest x-ray... based mostly on james' history of ultrasounds.  we are still waiting for the results, but everything seems normal and fine.  all that to say, we started out yesterday at children's hospital by getting a chest x-ray.  it was hard, because i had to pin my son down for them to do the x-ray.

then, we went down to peds ortho (as i will now refer to the pediatric orthopedic surgery deptartment, as that is JUST too long to type or say...), and had our first visit.  here is the game plan as it stands...  he got casts on his legs yesterday...  we will go once a week for probably 6 weeks (could be longer...) for them to change the casts, slowly moving his feet to a better position.  after that, he will have a minor surgery, usually done on an outpatient basis, where they clip the tendons in his ankles.  then, he will wear casts for 3 weeks after that to make sure the feet set right.

then, he will go into special shoes with a bar in the middle for 23 hours a day for 3 months straight.  then, he will wear those until he is 4 years old, but only at night!  there are two problems currently... one...  when the diaper leaks, it leaks onto the casts.  two...  he is MISERABLE!!!  

he had been sleeping about 4-5 hours at a time at night.  and the casts are just uncomfortable.  you can hear it in his cry.  it's just a cry of pain.  the good news is he was able to sleep for about 2-3 hours at a time last night.  

this is a random assortment of pictures from our last few days.  nora has VERY MUCH enjoyed the trampoline with auntie byssa and mel.  they have been fabulous with her, and nora loves being with the big girls!  there have been a variety of games (basketball, trampoline challenges, zonk, monopoly... which is ongoing... ) and plenty of swimming and fun!  nora's favorite, by far, is the shower.  the shower is almost as big as nora's room at home.  (did i mention we are in a rented house with everyone?)  

then some before and after casting pics!!!

too stinking big...

so, nora went in the potty last night.  she was quite proud!  we'll see if the trend continues.  throughout the course of the last week, she has asked a few times a day to "potty" and usually tries hard to go.  she was finally successful!

she also knows how to count!  mostly, at least.  so, here's a video of it...

happy birthday beesa...

happy birthday auntie byssa!!!  auntie byssa and friends flew in yesterday and nora is in heaven!  she has had so much fun with byssa.  yesterday, nora was struggling with obedience and attitude.  discipline wasn't overwhelmingly effective.  we were going to visit david at work, and i told her i couldn't take a girl that didn't obey.  that got immediate obedience!!  it was cute.  and all she said until we left was "dadda, work".  she was SO excited to go see daddy at work!   

this morning, she woke up, and david and i were still sleeping.  my mom got her up, and nora said, "dadda, shellbell sleeping".  she has started calling me shellbell, like everyone else!  oops...  

jeffrey came over the other day, and the kids could NOT BE CUTER!!!  

update

sweet face!!!

i am playing the "i just had a baby card", so as not to be held hostage in the house!  krissy was in there for an hour the other day. nora told her "house, stay..."

our first outing in the NEW stroller!!!  both kids were angels!  and seemed to like mommy's big purchase!!!

my sweet baby boy...

so, i meant to post yesterday, but we were busy!!!  wednesday afternoon, we went to ride horses (the merry-go-round) and that was the highlight of nora's week.  yesterday, our friends chelsey and jeffrey came over.  (i was letting nora play and trying to sleep in when nora started crying out for mama, dada, chelsey, out...  so, we needed some chelsey time!)  our club foot clinic appointment was changed to monday...  so no news on that front.

then, james and i had a big day... costco, and then a free movie on base!!  we went with chelsey and had a blast!!!  james was such a good baby, until mommy forgot wipes and he pooped.  i was going to change him on my lap, had to get up with his diaper half on and go to the bathroom.  then, as we are the ONLY ones left in the theater (i was pretty sure we were going to be stuck in there!!!), chelsey was trying to get toilet paper wet (and it was COLD), and james peed all over his clothes!!!  ahh... the second child.  i would have had three things of wipes with nora!

however, james ate when we got home at 11pm, then at 3am and 7am.  what a good boy!  i really only got woken up once!  

so stinking cute...

dancing with pop-pop..  just like her mommy does!!!

sweet girl loves her brother!  she still loves to give him his cupeez.  

i got to hold both my babies on the couch yesterday.  nora says "hold you" with this almost 

southern accent.  it's so cute!!!

nora loves to have her brother in bed with her...  but when she's done, she says "away"...

this morning, i had both kids by myself for a few hours!  i felt like i actually accomplished something.  i got both kids, and me, fed, james put back to bed, and nora's room cleaned!  

nora and my mom have been going for walks every day, and sometimes in the evening, they take daddy and sadie with them to get ice cream (frozen yogurt).  this was from last night's trip...